India's spin bowling worries Laxman

VVS LaxmanHyderabad: VVS Laxman is generally viewed as someone who believes in positive thinking. But he appears to be a worried man when talking about the future of India's spin bowling.

"I'm really concerned about the skills of today's spinners in India," Laxman said on the sidelines of a book release function, here, on Friday.

"When I used to play in the Ranji Trophy, each of the teams had at least three spinners who were as good as finding a berth in the Indian team. But nowadays, one will have to struggle to list even 10 quality spinners in the whole country, which is a major cause for concern.

"Quality spinners are necessary in the domestic league as they also make the batsmen to improve on their technique," Laxman added.

He, however, had his thumbs up to preparation of sporting pitches for domestic matches. Laxman, though, was clear in his views on an ideal track.

"You cannot replicate an Adelaide-like wicket here in Hyderabad. Besides, a sporting wicket doesn't always imply a green-top. A surface where spinners get a good bit of assistance and can trouble batsmen is also a sporting track, just like the one in Chennai, where we witnessed a keen tussle between the bat and the ball," he pointed out.

Laxman also had a word of advice for aspiring cricketers, some of whom find the IPL more appealing than representing the country. According to Laxman, playing for the country should be the top priority.

"The pride of representing the country should be the top priority for the youngsters. They need to understand that money is only the by-product of playing for your country and what you're trying to achieve."